mI visited Agape Hope House in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month. My thoughts and emotions ran the gambit that first day as we spent 6 or 7 hours with the children in the orphanage and then talked (and prayed) with Oliver and Maggie that day and over the next few days. My thoughts have turned back to Kenya and the children many times in the two weeks I have been home. Today, I hope to convey something of the raw… actually a better word is pure, emotion that God is stirring in me as I pray and ponder what I can do to help… how can I further God’s work in these children’s lives and in the lives of those God wants to use to join Maggie and Oliver, LJ and Danee, Coleman and Serving Orphans Worldwide, and me in ministering to “the least of these”.

The smiles belie a sad reality. Opportunity in Kenya is scarce. The path ahead for these children is not well trod. There are many obstacles in their path and the way is overgrown and hardly discernable. Yet smile they do. Because they are children they don’t comprehend how difficult the path ahead is.

These children have never slept in their own bed… and yet they smile.

These children have never had a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese, or McDonalds, or the skating rink… and yet they smile.

These children have never bought a new piece of clothing or shoes… and yet they smile.

These children don’t have a clue what it is like to have your own room, your own bed, your own “stuff”… and yet they smile.

These children eat every meal in masse, attend class in masse, go to bed in masse, and generally get attention in masse. With individual attention given by so few to so many, rare is the child who knows the tender love and attention my children (and grandchildren) get on a regular basis… and yet they smile.

The mental picture of “Mom” and “Dad” for many of these children is sketchy… and yet they smile. (Thank God for Maggie and Oliver who pour into them as much as they humanly can and who bring some balance to the term Momma and Daddy.)

These children have never had anyone wash their clothes, make their beds, clean up their room… and yet they smile.

These children have never had a choice of what they would like to eat… and yet they smile.

But, because of Agape Hope House and a few faithful donors these children have hope and a window of opportunity that is greater than their peers living outside the compound walls. The path from where they are may have as many obstacles, but the education, the encouragement, the guidance, and the faith they gain at Agape Hope House equips them to navigate a path to a better life. Today there are those who have walked the path to a better, faith-filled life of adulthood from Agape Hope House. While still a challenging path, knowing that others have taken the path and been successful is in itself a great encouragement. Some of those who have grown into adults with the benefit of Agape Hope have returned to mentor, to support, and to help.

The love of Jesus and the children is the motivator for Oliver and Maggie. They have given their lives to the work. The ½ acre piece of ground with 19 buildings, 140 orphans the day I was there, and a school enrolment of 487 stands as a light in a dark and difficult environment. The contrasts on this day buffeted me. The time of play with the children was just plain fun. The talk with some of the children on how they came to be at Agape Hope tore at my heart. The shy smiles of some and the mugging for the camera by others made me laugh. Noticing the girl sitting alone after doing her laundry while all the others played made me wonder – “what’s her story?” And every time a child slipped their hand in mine or Coleman’s or one of the other adults the bitter sweetness of the moment stung and stirred.

If this touches you, stirs you, or simply makes you curious, please take a few moments to look up Serving Orphans Worldwide on the internet at soworldwide.org. Visit Agape Hope Children’s Home on their page to learn more about the work Oliver and Maggie are doing for children in Nairobi. Finally please join us in prayer.

‘ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ‘ Matthew 25:31-40

I recently traveled to Kenya to support some friends who are serving in an orphanage and school in Nairobi. It was an awesome trip and I was greatly encouraged by the Davis family’s faithfulness in serving the Lord and the dozens of young people under their charge. I told a friend last night that the trip was amazing, but somehow that word really isn’t sufficient. My wife and I travel for leisure a fair amount and seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and making new friends is not a new experience for me. My common response is that a trip is “amazing”. This was so much more than that. It was inspiring. It was hard work. It was uplifting talking to LJ and Danee about the work. It was wonderful to hear from the Lord frequently and be able to obey with the encouragement and activity that He directed.

It weighed on my heart to see the poverty, filth, and lack of opportunity that is so much more prevalent than in the USA (or any of the places we travel to for fun). But as heavy as that was, the light of God’s goodness in the work being carried out stood out in stark, highly desirable contrast. There are many lessons that I have taken from the trip. Some were fully formed while I was there. Some are still being processed. Yesterday we hosted friends for our home group and the Lord brought a new consideration to light that I want to share today.

Maturing in faith and becoming a seasoned Christian will always include steps out of our comfort zone. In fact, growth as a believer will be an on-going series of steps that progressively move us from a place of comfort and ease into new territory that will often be a little scary and uncomfortable. But it is in stepping into the new that we learn to trust in Jesus’s presence and provision more than our own abilities and strength. I used to think that the word comfort meant ease and leisure. The actual root of the term comfort means “with strength”. Com = with, fort comes from the same root as fortress or fortification – a place of strength. When we are comforted, we are given strength to endure whatever difficulty, trial, or challenge we are encountering. Being comforted is a good thing. Being comfortable is in itself not a bad thing. However, as I have discussed in previous posts, there are times when the good can become an enemy of the best. And God wants the best for His children.

So what is the problem with being comfortable and why does God want us to move out of our comfort zone? The issue is not that God is a killjoy. Joy, comfort, and peace are great gifts He provides. But these are by-products not the end product. The end is a deepening relationship with Him and a greater intimacy with the lover of our soul. It is God’s desire that each one of us grow to know Him so well that we live in constant communion with Him. Prayer without ceasing is more than a pious platitude, it is an accurate description of the life God wants to lead us into. Which is where our personal comfort zone can become a hindrance rather than a good thing.

The Creator of the universe is without limits. His love is truly beyond our comprehension, but He wants us to experience it in ever greater amounts. To do so often means we must let go of our existing beliefs and understanding to experience the next greater level of His love. The same is true of His wisdom, His faithfulness, His mercy, His grace. Each time we let go of our current state of satisfaction and lean into a holy hunger for more of Him, we will experience a stretching and growth that reveals more of God’s nature, and by definition, will result in a degree of loss of the negatives of the world’s perspective. For me personally, this stretching often includes a letting go of self-reliance in some area to gain a greater God-reliance.

I saw this in Kenya. It was evident in my friends LJ and Danee. It was also true in me. God’s specific word to LJ was “to prepare the land”. The orphanage had fallen into disrepair. Mismanagement had resulted in the loss of the license as a children’s home and much of the 14-acre compound was overgrown with brush and vegetation. The entire family responded to the call to prepare the land. Now for many of us, traveling overseas can be a daunting experience. That increases when the travel is to a third world country. Raise it another notch when we are placed next to the 2nd largest slum in the world. Oh, for good measure, take the entire family with children ages 15, 14, 13, and 9 in tow. I know very few people who would be able to be stretched that far. But the path the Lord has led Danee and LJ on has been a path of consistent next steps of trusting God as they go a little further out of their comfort zone, only to see Him provide exactly what was needed after each step.

While I was there, I witnessed LJ assuming the new role of overall Operations Manager for the entire compound. By his own admission, LJ is a country boy from rural South Carolina. He did not aspire to running an orphanage and school, but as I witnessed while I was there, LJ and Danee are faithfully doing whatever is required in leading, guiding, and serving the community. And the land itself is beginning to flourish. A ¾ acre vegetable garden is up and growing. Soon it will be a major supplement to the food provisions for the 84 children getting their meals at LifeSpring. The livestock are multiplying. The third fluffle of rabbits are being nurtured and rabbit hutches were built while I was there.

Chickens roam the grounds during the day with baby chicks sticking close to mama hen for protection. Goats graze on grass where brambles once grew. To support the growing campus, LJ has hired widows and young men in desperate need of employment. The land is well on its way to being prepared.

LJ’s work as an instrument and controls technician prepared him for some of the work. I chuckle though because Google has come to the rescue many times as they encounter new situations they have never dealt with before. (Like letting me know that a group of baby bunnies is called a fluffle!) In one instance they were talking to one of the widows who had been hired to tend the garden. In Kenya all the schools are in English, so if you have had the benefit of attending school you are liable to speak decent English. This widow, who cares for her grandchild in the Kibera slum, knows zero English therefore she has never been to school. Trying to communicate to her that LJ had bought four tin sheets to replace the plastic she was living under in Kibera was both humorous and deeply touching. Google translate had to translate into Swahili so the widow could understand that some men would be coming by to help her. Kenyans don’t cry. Stoic persistence to survive doesn’t leave room for expressing much emotion, but the emotion flickered on her face when she realized the act of kindness being done for her.

LJ and Danee went to Kenya following the Lord’s clear leading. But following the Lord’s leading and knowing all that we are getting into are often two different things. In some cases, the Father will give us a degree of insight into what’s ahead. I think of Paul the apostle heading to Jerusalem where he would be arrested. God clearly told him to go to Jerusalem. And he was also clearly told that difficulty was ahead. But God gave Paul an assurance that walking this difficult path was God’s will and that God would be with him. Paul was called out of his comfort zone over and over again. In stepping into God’s call out of the comfort zone and into the unknown, Paul grew into the apostle God created him to be. Today the Church is blessed because of Paul’s faithfulness in living outside of his comfort zone since much of the New Testament was written by Paul.

As the Lord opened my eyes to the reality of our growth as believers being tied to stepping out of our comfort zone, I realized all the saints in the Word were taken out of their comfort zone. Abraham left his family, his land, and ventured many long and difficult miles to a “promised” land. There was comfort in the land of Haran, but God’s call was to step out and follow Him. Mary was a young woman engaged to a kind carpenter, when an angel said you have been chosen but it will take you out of your comfort zone. Mary said “let it be done to me as you have said” and she stepped out of her comfort zone and into God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. Jesus was a good Jewish lad, well versed in the law, but God had a plan and a call upon His life. Jesus was unique. He was fully God, but at the same time fully human. Being fully human, He experienced a degree of comfort as a carpenter’s son, then apprentice, and finally working as a carpenter in His own right. But when God said step out of your comfort zone and into my call upon your life He did. Jesus ministered for three years outside of His comfort zone – forty days fasting in the desert, speaking to crowds that wanted signs and wonders, but not necessarily the all-in life with God He was espousing, doing battle with the persons of power and influence who chaffed at His familiarity with God, and finally suffering a painful and humiliating torture and execution at the hands of both Roman authorities and Jewish leaders. Jesus modeled a life of stretching our human boundaries of comfort in faithful response to God’s call to something better, something richer, to life in union with God and His unique plan for each person.

Friends I am deeply stirred that God has a call upon every person into a life that is beyond amazing. He has a call upon you. But it is a journey that will frequently take us out of our comfort zone. God will ask us to step in faith in Him and not in sight by using our own wisdom and strength. We will have to rely upon Him. We will be stretched. At times it won’t be “fun”. At times it will even be difficult. But as we listen and lean upon Him, He will be with us to bring about His good will in us and through us. And this is so much better than the “good” we might experience in the comfort zone. Because it is the best.

What burden or desire has the Lord put on your heart that gets shelved because it is outside your comfort zone?

Where do you see injustice, need, or sin that really pushes your buttons, but thus far you have done little beyond complain about it?

Do you have a passion for something the Word says to do, yet thus far you have not truly considered the possibility of you doing something just because?

Take a few moments and ask the Father to bring your next step into clear focus. Ask with a willingness to take the next step. Realize these will not usually be huge leaps out of the blue, but a gradual revelation where God draws you to a faith place that makes each progressive step a stretch, but doable with a little courage and trust in the One Who has provided for you in the past. For the Davis’ it was a few years walking out many progressive next steps into mission work. For me going over to help them was similar, taking about a year of progressive faith steps. Having been, my faith is stirred to help even more. Will I be more comfortable? Walking in God’s grace and lifted by His love, I reckon I have all the strength a person needs. So the answer has to be yes, but in a new way. When we walk His path, taking new steps into the unknown that He directs we will be comforted with His great comfort. And that is way better than just being comfortable.

I wanted to finish posting pics from our anniversary get-away. It was a fun way to celebrate 33 years of being married to a wonderful woman who is simply a beautiful person through and through. Heading to a tropical paradise just as the grip of winter seems to finally be slipping seemed like a good idea and the following pics show off the beautiful island of Kauai where we visited for 2 days at the end of our vacation.

I experienced a downside to this though. My work travels the next week took me to western New York where the temperature never got above 40 F and it snowed almost every day. My blood had gotten used to the tropics so I think my suffering (and whining and complaining) were justified and I guess maybe a little amplified. And my wonderful wife that enjoyed our get-away so much… yeah, all she could do was laugh when I would talk to her on the phone from NY.

Did I ever mention that 34 years ago I prayed for humility right before I met my wife….

Enjoy the pics.

The south shore of Kauai, also known as the Sunny Side.

The spouting horn doing what it is famous for.

Ferrel chickens were everywhere. While not endemic to the islands they have been there since the earliest people. The numbers increased greatly though when Hurricane Iniki blew over all the chicken coops and freed the entire population of caged birds.

Hanapepe Canyon

Caves that also served as burial sites for Hawaiian leaders and royal families.

Statue of Captain Cook where he first landed in the Hawaiian Islands at the mouth of the Waimea River.

Waimea Canyon which is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

The highest swamp on earth, the Alaka’i Swamp is on the top of the old volcano that formed the island.

The Waimea Falls near the headwaters of the Waimea River is the cause of the canyon.

The central highlands of Kaua’i are over 5000 feet above sea level. The trade winds constantly blow, hitting the highlands and creating clouds and rain. So much so that Kaua’i has the title of wettest place on earth receiving between 400 and 600 inches of rain a year.

Waimea Beach. Wai means fresh water. Mea means red. The name is for the river which runs red after heavy rains from the high iron content in the soil. Obviouslly the waters off the beach experience this too. The sand itself is a mixture of black, green, red, and grey sand. It is not dirty at all.

View through the entrance of the Waimea Plantation, an old sugar cane plantation turned into a resort.

Coffee shrubs.

The largest coffee plantation in the US.

Trail to Fern Grotto.

Either Pine Ginger or Pineapple Ginger.

Fern Grotto.

Weddings used to regularly be held inside the mouth of Fern Grotto.

Final morning in Paradise.

Ancient fishpond.

The Hawaiians were among the earliest people to practice aguaculture. They build these fishponds which had small openings that young fish could swim through into the “safe” water inside.

The Hawaiians would then feed and nuture the captive fish inside the ponds. Before long the fish were to big to fit back through the openings to the open sea. As the fish grew, for them the ponds became increasingly less safe. Yes, fish was a primary component of the Hawaiian diet.

Sea turtle sculptures…

And Sea Monstors on shore.

While blustery and cloudy, the temperature never got below 70.

From a distance I could almost hear the rooster preaching a sermon and all the other birds bobbing in agreement.

Flightseeing around Kaua’i was the perfect way to wrap up our trip. Desi was our pilot and she was great.

Leaving the airport at Lihue under a fair cover of clouds we headed south.

And the Sunny Side of the island did not disappoint.

The largest coffee plantation in the US is the Kauai Coffee Plantation.

Port Allen. Note the big solar generation station just outside of town.

It had been a very rainy season which was lasting a bit longer than usual, so the waterfalls were plentiful.

When Desi would lean us into a tight turn to share views both left and right, it made for some cool pespectives.

A closer view of Waimea Falls than from the lookout.

Down the Waimea Canyon to he sea. Notice the lookout on the plateau on the center right.

Desi turned from the Waimea Canyon and then headed into the clouds over the top of the island. We were in a white-out for about 30 seoncds and then, BOOM the Na Pali coast burst into view.

Captain Jack Sparrow had a run in with some natives on these two beaches.

The Cathedrals.

This is the favorite surfing hangout of Bethany Hamilton, the surfing champion who lost an arm to a great white shark.

A recurring prayer for me goes something like this. “Thank you Lord for all the blessings you’ve poured out on my family and on me. I don’t deserve it, but I thank you for it.” And then I wonder why I am so favored. Now I need to put this in context before I go too far. We have had our share of difficulties. Perhaps not the tragedies some have experienced, but difficulties just the same – my wife’s shattered leg in 2012, my near heart attack in 2014, my job loss at the beginning of 2015, my broken shoulder in 2017 to name a few. Yet, whatever direction I look, I see God’s goodness poured out… not just on me, but on so many people that I know. He is indeed good… all the time. And I wonder anew, “Lord why are you so good to me?” Today as I have thought of this I think I have at least a little different perspective to share.

Being a father for 33 years, I know a daddy’s love for his children. We just finished souvenir shopping for our four children and four grandchildren. This is my wife’s time to lead and I dutifully follow. As I watch and respond to her questions I realize she is seeking the perfect balance. She wants to get them something they will enjoy, but that is also beneficial. No to excess sugar and candy, yes to clothing that says laid-back Hawaii. No to things with sharp edges or that can choke a little one, yes to cuddly and cute. Since God is the perfect Father, He wants to give us gifts that achieve that perfect balance in our lives. He knows our talents, our personality, our likes and dislikes. He knows what is best for us. His gifts are meant to draw us to himself since a deep and growing relationship with Him is what we are created for. And just like giving gifts to our children warms my wife’s heart, I sense that God is also pleased when He is able to give us good gifts that bring us joy. Oh, and when we recognize and give Him thanks, the mutual joy is amplified.

I believe the Father loves to hear us laugh and this is frequently one of the purposes of God’s blessings. In some cases it may be the only reason. But at other times God has multiple motives behind the gift given.

Being open to and responsive to the Lord’s leading in gift-receiving and gift-giving is an acquired wisdom. God will bless us so that we can in turn bless others. Giving of tithes and offerings is a tangible demonstration of finding our place in God’s economy of blessing. Less formal but just as important is being open to the Holy Spirit’s leading to provide help for someone when the Lord prompts us to. Our home group purchased a moped for a young woman in difficult circumstances recently and we know it was a God assignment. Today we are excited to see what God is going to do through this simple act of passing His blessing on.

There is one other aspect that I believe the Lord wants us to understand about His blessing, but I hesitate for fear I will not be able to adequately explain. It is that obedience brings blessing. As we live life the way God desires us to live, we will experience His protection, His provision, and His favor. The Holy Scriptures contain God’s blueprint for life. Everything necessary to know how to enter a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe is there. However, it is spiritually discerned. That means God Himself must be living within us by His Holy Spirit for us to read, understand, and apply the truth contained in the scriptures. Sadly just knowing the scriptures isn’t enough. The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day were thoroughly knowledgeable of the scriptures, yet they crucified the one the scriptures foretold.

There is a progression in this flow. The first is to recognize that there is a Creator of all that is. He has been called many things… El Sahddai, Elohim, The LORD God, Almighty God, but it is safe to call Him God.

Second is to search for Truth. When we honestly and openly search for Truth, asking God to guide us to Truth we will run into Jesus. There are numerous reasons this is true, but suffice today I’ll point out the one I know to be true and unassailable. Jesus’ resurrection proves He was Who He said He was – God’s one and only Son, sent to redeem mankind through His sacrificial death on the cross.

Third, once we recognize Jesus for Who He says He is, it is only right to surrender our life to Him and take up the life He is calling us to. It is a life of dying to poor life choices, bad decisions, and irresponsibility. It is letting go of living according to your own agenda and morality and learning how to live a life that aligns with God’s game plan for life. It is saying yes to Jesus in how we live.

Fourth is to ask Jesus to help us to know Him better and to live the life God desires us to live. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help us live life the way God intends. He never takes away our ability to choose whether to follow or not. In fact He partners with us in the work of transformation, but He will do the heavy lifting if we simply turn to Him and ask for His help.

As we live a life of consistent obedience, God’s blessings will flow. It is not that we are immune to difficulties, but knowing God and trusting Him provides a solid place to stand even when all around is shaking and unsettled. And when we thank Him in the midst of the hard and difficult, when our suffering is wrapped in thanking God for being with us in the storm, we will know His peace and comfort, which is one of the greatest of His blessings to His children.

As I shared in an earlier post, my wife and I are celebrating our 33rd anniversary in Hawaii. I am going to post a few more pics of our trip for those who are interested. The week has contained a snapshot of life. We’ve experienced a good bit of clouds, rain, and wind. The conditions were not always ideal. But through it all God has been with us, showing us His love and care. We have thrilled with new adventures and quiet times together. Today the sun broke through and it is gloriously beautiful. It happened just in time for a morning helicopter ride… with the doors off and a sunset on Waikiki Beach.

Wherever you are in life, know that God loves you and He is for you. If you are at one of those points of progression that I mention above and you would like to know more, please drop me a comment. I would be happy to chat and pray. It’s what I’m supposed to do. In the meantime, enjoy the pics. and be blessed today. And don’t forget to pass the blessing on!

Waimea Beach on Oahu’s North Shore. A big wave surfing tournament is held here when the conditions, at least 30 foot swells, allows.

All the commercial pineapple operations have moved to other countries. Everything grown on these pineapple plantations are for consumption on the islands.

Kualo Range where Jurassic Park and Lost were filmed.

Dole Pineapple Plantation and maze behind the gift shop. The pineapples are so sweet on the islands.

Jordan, our pilot, is hanging loose behind us.

Sunset Beach on the North Short where the World Championships of Surfing are held each November / December.

Kane’one Bay where we snorkled around “Gilligan’s Island”.

View toward Diamond Head

Sandy Beach on the east coast of the island.

Waikiki Beach. Our hotel was on the beach at the pier on the farthest left of the photo.

View along Waikiki Beach toward Diamond Head from our hotel beach.

View from our room.

And it appears she says yes.

I watched this young man hurl himself into wave after wave and then body surf to shore.

And then I thought of our daughter-in-law with her children tenderly loving and playing with them.

Look closely at the person with their hand on their head. They are walking on water… I caught them just as they lost their board but before they splashed down. Funny!

Coming in for a landing.

These last three reminded me of our children when they were babies and how our weekends we would often squeeze as much fun out of the play days as possible.

And the toys are ready for the next day of fun for the crowds who will arrive before the sun tomorrow.

One day in Oahu was dedicated to hiking and exploring. Hitting Diamond Head at 6:20 am was wise, but we didn’t realize a Triathlon was taking place that made it hard to catch our shuttle. We had to join the sea of joggers to meet our van. This also added almost a mile to our hike, but we persevered and we can say we ran in a triathlon, hiked Diamond Head, and swam in Hanauma Bay all in one day. It was a fun day of exercise, super views, and a good way to beat the heat.

Following our Diamond Head hike, we shuttled over to Hanauma Bay for a little snorkeling and relaxation on the beach. Hanauma Bay is the collapsed crater of a Tuff cone as is Diamond Head and KoKo Crater which is beside Koko Head. A Tuff Cone is subtly different from a volcano. A volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust where lava pours forth over a period of several years to perhaps hundreds of years. A Tuff Cone is a very short burst event where a crack in the earth’s crust results in the escape of hot gases to just under the earth’s surface. The result is an explosion, not unlike the bubble that erupts in spaghetti sauce cooking on the stove. Our guide said scientists believe the event that resulted in the creation of Diamond Head lasted between 1 to 7 days. In the soil around these you can see the particles of reef, old volcanic material, and sand all mixed together where they were expelled in the creation of the Tuff Cone.

After a couple snorkel swims I felt the tug of another hike out Koko Head, so I gathered my camera and lenses and I was off. The elevation above the bay created some excellent views. My only disappointment was that I didn’t have the beautiful blue sky that proved fickle a few days while we were in Hawaii.

The Hanauma Bay was formed by a Tuff Cone that evenutally settled enough into the Sea that the waters broke through and created the Bay.

Koko Head is the land mass in the distance forming the right side of the bay.

Life guards posted on surf board.

Coastline in Koko Head Regional Park.

Fisherman on Halona Point.

Beach where the scene in the 1950’s movie, From Here to Eternity was filmed.

From Here to Eternity Beach reprise by a couple of lovers.

More 911 calls to this beach than any on the island because of the sharp shore breaking waves.

Sandy Beach Park.

Makapu’u Beach Park

Views from Nu’uanu Pali Lookout.

Ferrel chickens and cats were everywhere. Neither cats nor chickes are endemic to the islands.

Ridge on the left is the remnant of the Koolau Volcano that formed the east side of the Island.

Mokapu

The lookout where we are standing is at the Nu’uanu Pali cliff where the Ohau Islanders made their final stand against the forces of King Kamehameha the Great. The pile of over 700 skeletons at the bottom of the cliff bear witness to how the battle ended.

Kane’ohe

Kane’ohe Bay on the right.

Ulupa’u Crater at the end of Mokapu Penninsula

Gnarled tree on Nu’uanu Pali. The breeze through here almost never stops.

Byodo-In Buddist Temple in the Valley of Temples.

The “door-bell” of the temple.

Happy Fish!

I don’t know why they call them Koi… they are not shy at all!

Love the little girl’s look of astonishment. I heard her father encourage her and soon she was hand feeding the swan.

The Valley of Temples is set up against the Koo’lau ridge which is what remains of the huge Caldera of the volcano.

Our tour was very good. Levent did a great job.

There was also a Catholic and a Luthern church cemetary in the Valley.

View south across Kane’ohe Bay with Mokoli’i Island, also known as Chinaman’s Hat on the left.

Kualoa Ridge. This ridge and the next 3 or 4 valley are all part of the Kualoa Ranch.

The Kualoa Ranch has been the site of numerous movies and TV shows.

Kahana Bay and Beach Park.

Crouching Lion Rock across Kahana Bay.

View acrss La’ie Bay from Kalanai Point.

Wild Pheasant in Malaekahana Bay State Recreation Areal.

Sunset Beach on the North Shore.

Classic Islan View.

She just couldn’t decide if she wanted to get in the water.

I think she was just posing.

Waimea Bay on Oahu.

A wild pheasant in not so wild surroundings.

Ready to hike to Wiamea Falls.

The state flower of Hawai’i, the yellow hibiscus.

Entering an ancient Hawaiian Village.

Even the trees were attentive to Levent’s explanation.

Levent tells us about the way of life in a Hawaian Village.

Happy tourists… not in our group.

Cococut palms. Levent told us more people die from coconuts hitting people on the head that from Shark attacks on the island.

Our Oahu Tour Group.

Waimea Falls.

Waimea means fresh water of a reddish color.

The reddish muddy color comes from the large amount of iron content in the soil.

One of the sadder facts about Hawaii is that it is the extinction capitol of the world. Because the environment is so good almost anything of either flora or fauna will grow well.

Much of the endemic species had existed here without significant competition.

So when new species were introduced that had a more competitive nature, the endemic species were at a disadvantage and quickly suffered loss.

I believe Levent told us that up to 80% of the flora and fauna here now are not native.

And most of the native species that remain exist in only very small and isolated locations.

State Flower again.

Better view of the Hawaiian Village.

The path from falls to visitor center.

This bird decided out bus was not the right bus.

A North Shore favorite jumping rock.

First Green Sea Turtle. Scientists aren’t sure why they do it, but the Green Sea turtles of Hawaii are the only Sea Turtles that come up on land seemingly just for the fun of it.

These Monkey-pod trees form a beautiful canopy in many places on the island.

Everywhere else, Sea Turtles only come ashore to lay eggs.

But the beaches here are just too inviting for the Green Sea Turtles who seem to enjoy sun-bathing in the afternoons.

A beautiful afternoon for a stroll on the Oahu North Shore.

Levent told us this female Sea Turtle, #47, frequently suns on this beach.

Dole Pineapple Plantation. All the pineapples grown here are for island use only. It is too expensive to grow and ship from here compared to other parts of the world.

The Wai’anae Mountain range which is the remaining caldera side of the earliest volcano to form the island of Oahu.

Dole Pineapple Plantation

Several surfers handing loose for the final waves of the day.

View of Diamond Head Crater at sunset from our pier.

Throughout our stay in Hawaii we heard “Aloha!” both in greeting and as a goodbye. Every tour guide we met referred to the importance of the word in conveying the Hawaiian sense of love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. It was always said with a smile and, in many cases, with a hug or a kiss on the cheek.

We attended a Luau one night and the Chief spoke of the ancient roots of the word in the Polynesian language. It seems the word is the combination of “Alo” which means to meet or stand face to face and the word “Ha” which carries the sense of breath or life or spirit. So it has a sense of being in close connection with another and sharing the same breath or sharing life together.

As I heard this description my mind went to Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples after His resurrection. It’s recorded in the 20th chapter of the book of John.

‘On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” ‘ John 20:19-22

Jesus is unique among all religious leaders. In fact, Jesus would scoff at being called a religious leader. Jesus spoke very plainly and clearly about Who He was. He said He was God’s Son. He said there was only one way to enter into a face to face relationship with God and that was through Him. His disciples didn’t understand what He meant when He first told them, but with His resurrection, the truth began to become clear. Jesus was God’s solution to man’s problem. God is Holy and Perfect. Sin cannot stand in God’s presence, yet His love desires to be joined with His children. Therefore imperfect people cannot stand in God’s presence, but Jesus intervened on our behalf and in our place. That’s what the cross was. Jesus accepting the punishment for sin, for our sin, in our place so that we could be able to enter into a relationship with God.

I mentioned that Jesus was unique. Others have made mighty proclamations. But no others have been able to demonstrate their deity because they were mere men or women. Only Jesus conquered death. Only Jesus rose from the grave to be witnessed by hundreds after a very public and very real death. Jesus proved Who He was by His resurrection. That proof is also supported by the transformed lives of thousands into millions who have experienced a personal relationship with the living Lord. I am one of them.

Jesus may not be Hawaiian, but I believe He is probably okay with the definition of Aloha that the chief gave at our Luau. I know He is calling people to come meet with Him face to face, to put their trust in Him, to turn from a life of trusting anything and everything else and to turn to Him. Jesus is waiting. He wants to breath His Spirit into His children. Let today be the day you lean into Jesus and say “Yes”… you put your trust in Him and say “I’m Yours”… you step off the throne of your life and say, “My Lord and my God.” If you speak Hawaiian, you just might hear Him say, “Aloha, my child. I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day I first thought of you. Receive My Spirit and enter my rest.”

Be blessed my friends and pass it on!

Note: These pictures are from our first full day in Oahu when we took the Ultimate Circle Tour of Oahu with our guide, Levent, and a van full of new friends like Sandra, Johnny, Fred, and Gail. (Sorry we got separated at the end of the day like we did. Hope you had a great wrap-up to your trip.)

Please feel free to view an download any pics that you like. More to follow in the coming days.

I have a problem that I must confess. I have wanderlust. Wikipedia defines wanderlust as the strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. It has become a passion of ours to see new places, meet new people, experience new cultures, and learn new things. This week my wife and I are on a getaway celebrating our 33rd anniversary. We are in Oahu, Hawaii at a hotel on Waikiki Beach. While most of our trips are planned out a year or more in advance, this one dropped into our schedule 2 months ago when a “deal” fell in our lap. Now wanderlust itself is neutral, not necessarily good or bad. Like any strong impulse though it has the potential of becoming an idol. And this morning a disquiet has settled upon me as I realize I must deal with this reality in my life.

The standard definition of idol is an image representing a deity or god. A little broader definition of idol that better captures the message conveyed in scripture is anything that takes the ultimate place of priority in our life other than the Lord God. When I look around I see many people giving the place of priority in their life to people, things, and experiences other than God. It is incredibly sad to see a child so doted upon by their parents that they begin to actually believe the world revolves around them. In this case the parents often make the child an idol reinforcing the natural self-centered tendency that most of us struggle with. Or the person who is obviously wealthy to the point they lack no material comfort, yet they continue the quest to acquire, have, and hold onto because stuff, or position, or power has become their god. Not only can I see this in others, but when I turn and look inside, I realize this tendency to elevate people, things, or experiences to an unhealthy level still resides in me.

I recognized the uneasiness stirring in me later in the day yesterday as we filled a second day with adventure. Meeting our photography tour guide at 5:20 am to begin a Sunrise Photography tour, we had the briefest of times for our devotional. From then on the day was busy. I laid my head down at 10:00 pm Hawaii time with thoughts of things done, things still to do, plans still to be made. Body exhausted, my mind was still busy, but sadly, God was not in my first thoughts. Honestly, I didn’t pause to really spend time talking and listening to Him much at all.

For me, clarity often comes in the morning and so it was today. It is a real issue and I am ready to deal with it. I slipped out on the balcony about 4:30 am, confessing my waywardness and ready to make changes. The Lord put in mind capturing my thoughts (hence you are reading them now) and to open the Word. As He often does a snippet of scripture was persistent in my mind… “Why are you so downcast, oh my soul?”

I looked it up and had to laugh. Psalm 42 is what I was looking for. I made bold the verses that made me laugh because we are in Hawaii, visiting waterfalls and swimming in the pounding surf. God can be very specific (or in this case Pacific) when He needs to be. At the end I will close with the Psalm since God fully deserves the final word.

You see, God wants us to enjoy good things. He loves people and wants us to love them fully… with His love. He has no problem with our use and enjoyment of things. He lovingly provides them for our benefit and use. And life is made rich by new and varied experiences. God works in these experiences to stretch and grow us. The issue is simply do we have God in the proper place in our lives or is He an after-thought?.. Or is He even considered at all? Are we living a life that makes knowing God and growing in that relationship with Him the pivot point of our life? Are we living in such a manner that others recognize that He is real by the way we live?

I see my disquiet for what it is, a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit to check my priorities and be sure God was not lost in our enjoyment of this beautiful place. And so, Lord I do. You are my priority. I put my hope in You.

‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”